"Now just sit there, all of you, and stop looking at the door. If you get up or move, I will end you right here and now. Time to be honest and stop this foolishness. Where are you from and what are you doing in Adderstone?"

Daniel took a deep breath. “Honestly, we don't know. Nothing makes sense. We just appeared here; I think. We don't mean any harm. We're confused and lost. We just want to go home."

The girls nodded their heads.

Gerald placed his weapon back down on the desk in front of him. He leaned back in his chair and looked them over. Daniel could see a metal star pinned to his shirt, but didn't know what it represented.

It was similar to a pentagram, but all points.

“You are wearing spell caster robes, said Gerald, looking at Daniel.

“What school are you with?"

The word school gave Daniel a feeling of déja vu. He remembered something about a school. He didn't belong to one, though. He was certain of that. "I don't belong to a school."

Gerald went white and stood suddenly and backed away from his desk.

Daniel could see he had his weapon again, and it was pointed right at him. "“School-less? Impossible! Who are you? Answer me now!"

Daniel didn't understand the man's fright. He put his hands up to show they were empty. "Sir? Truly, we don't understand any of this!

Please be calm!"

Gerald's eyes were rapidly moving between all of them. He kept his weapon pointed at Daniel. “A spell caster and three women...

Impossible! You can't exist! Answer me! Are you witches?" He asked the last question to the girls. His voice held fear.

Amy nodded. “Yes, sir. We are. We are a circle and Daniel is our spell caster."

Gerald backed up more and crashed into the curtains and blinds covering the window behind him. The weapon in his hand shook.

"Impossible!"

"Sir!" Daniel said quietly and softly. "We mean no harm. We haven't done anything! We just arrived here. Somehow. We don't remember how. You're scaring us."

"Scaring you!? Are you daft? You just told me you're a witch's circle! You are to be killed on sight! But you can't even exist! The War ended your kind! You're an abomination to the One God!"

Daniel felt his heartbeat speed up. The One God? He knew of that.

Someone... he'd met someone who claimed to be from the One God. A false man. A liar. They were in trouble, but he didn't know how or why.

The door to the office opened and a spell caster walked in. His robes were rich and threaded with gold. He carried an opened, large, thick tome in his left hand, his right hand was raised, and a bright ball of light was clutched in it.

The ball of light flew from the man and expanded in a blink of an eye to encapsulate Daniel and the girls. They cried out, but their voices were gone. They clutched their throats and tried to speak, but couldn't. They tried to stand, but found themselves locked in their chairs by some magic.

Daniel saw Gerald visibly relax and lower his weapon.